Not So Fast

It seems that the new liner had pulled away in the corners and when full made it impossible to tuck them in so The Woman made me drain it and fix the corners (The Woman has a way of making me do things that I need to do but don't want to do - it's all for the best because if she didn't force me and put up with my gripping I probably wouldn't get anything worthwhile done). Lisa called and said a pool installer gave her a tip to use pennies in the bead channel to hold the liner in place. It worked like a charm and today the pool is filled and the corners are up.

But with all this not much painting is getting done, and this weekend and week I must focus on getting prints ready for the Junction City Show on the 7th and 8th. I was interviewed by the Journal Star and the article should be in this Sundays paper with a nice color photo of Spirit of Peoria. Hopefully that will drive up interest and print sales. Looking forward to a good show so I can recoup some of the money that we have spent on the pool, and print supplies.

With the Help Of a Few Close Friends

The Memorial Day weekend is a fleeting memory as we set of for a short but busy work week. The pool is filled and holding water, the new steps are in( not a job for the faint of heart as it required the removal of much concrete and dirt) and the pool is filled and ready to swim. That is of course if your a penguin, as the weather has turned very cool and the water is a balmy 65 degrees.

As I was waiting for water to re-enter the pool I did start another painting "DAR Hall" I am really going to have to push to get it done before the 6th of June for Junction City. I also have to get some prints ready for that show so my evenings will be busy.

Good thing it looks like rain the rest of the week.

Down the Drain

Yesterday evening I had to drain the pool in preparation of measuring for a new liner. It really hurts to see all that water running out of the pool only to have to be replaced after a new liner is installed. Hopefully we can get the rest out tonight and the measurements made so we can get a quote on the new one. The steps also need to be replaced and with the first major art show in two weeks it may take some creative financing.

I did manage to sketch out the next painting last night so I will at least have something to keep my mind off my misery. With some luck I may be able to finish this one in time for Junction City also.

Trina called me at work to ask how to get to the blog to see the new painting and it was fantastic to hear her response. It was a soft quivering "Oh my" I think that she liked it. The Woman says that it is one of her favorites. It appears that it is a winner. That is one of the best things about doing shows, standing out of sight and listening as people see the painting for the first time.

Saint Marys

The subject was the Church of the Immaculate Conception or as we in town refer to as St. Marys Cathedral. I had this odd shaped canvas for a while and didn't know what to paint on it, it turns out that it was a perfect size for this painting as the spires are so tall.

Trina Burge has been on me for a long time to paint it, so I hope she likes it. Now it's on to the next one as I ponder the leak the I have in the pool.

Busy Weekend

Friday evening The Woman and I took advantage of the great weather and started to work on the opening the pool. The winter was sort of hard on the fence around the back so we had to reset posts and reattach fence sections. Saturday we took the cover off and started the whole task of refilling and hooking up the filter and pump. After a half a dozen trips to Lowes and to Central Pool Supplies and lots of water, the pool is up and running. Although it is not yet swimable, give it a week and even then the water will be pretty cold.
Saturday evening we went to Chillicothe for the artist reception at the Town Gallery, we didn't stay long but we did make a cameo appearance.
Sunday was the "meet and greet" at the Kickapoo Winery so not much painting work finished. I should be back in the studio tonight to finish the current piece. Hopefully I'll have an image up for tomorrow.

ER Night

Managed to get the main subject of the painting finished with over glazes and details yesterday evening. Tonight is ER night and The Woman will probably be going to her sisters house to watch. So that leaves me at home to paint, I hoping to get the secondary subject finished tonight and then it's just some grass and trees and I'm finished.

I need to finish this and then move on to the other quickly so they will be ready for the Junction City Show. My paintings are stretched sort of thin lately as they are literally everywhere in the city. This is a good thing but it is also bad as the show season is quickly coming and I still have other cities to paint.

Moving right along

Last evening I managed to get in all the block work of the main building in this next painting. It's moving along nicely, still have to do all the over-glaze work so that the stones have depth and they the shadows and detail work. The secondary building shouldn't take too long and I'm thinking this should be finished soon. Then I can reveal the painting and the name and who know I might even get some Mary Kay out of it.

Monday-Monday

Monday was good day to get back in the swing, picked a hot woman up on the way home and ended up having dinner with her. Then went to work on the newest painting, I hope that tonight works out equally as well.

Weekend Update

Scored a topper Friday and it really helped in transporting to and from the show in Peoria Heights this weekend ( even though Kaleb now is embarrassed to ride with me and my friends say it looks like a camper ) Packed up my art the night before and unloaded on Sunday , stuff stayed dry even though it rained terribly that morning, there and back one trip, just what I was looking for.
Charlie and two friends came home for the Mother's Day weekend and of course that meant a whirlwind of activity.
The Peoria Heights Show was OK but not stellar, the show has in the past been sort of a craft/flea market type event, but this year the merchants took the show over and wanted to make it more of an art fair. They succeeded with bringing the artists but the crowds were still the craft/ flea market type. It will probably take a few years for this to get established, all in all it was a good one day show. If it had been two we would have had monsoon Sunday to deal with and it would have been terrible.
This week I'll be focusing on the new painting as I have two openings to go to this coming weekend. The first is at the Town Gallery in Chillicothe - Saturday evening from 5:00 to 9:00, the second is at the Kickapoo Creek Winery on Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00 to kick off the new "Arbor Gallery". I'm also working on some prints for the Economic Development Council's new offices on the riverfront.

Thursday Recap

Last night was a bust for painting, had to take Kaleb to mow at my parents, went to look at a topper for the truck(to help transport art to shows), to the awards event at the junior high, then for pizza at Mickie's ( arguably the best around ).
The topper looks good and I will probably go get it tonight. The only problem is that it is dark blue and my truck is white, but at some point this summer I should find time to shoot it white to match.
The highlight of the evening was not the awards ceremony, oh no, it was the sparring of words at my parents house. After 51 years of marriage my southern parents have a unique way of bantering back and forth. This is at times playful and at others scary, the exchange sort of went as follows.
Dad: Get in here before I box yer ears!

Mom: You better watch out old man if the left one don't get ya the right one will. (shaking her fists)

Dad: You'd have a better shot at shave a cougar's ass with a beaver than to mess with me!

Mom: I'll wrap those oxygen lines around yer neck and drag you around the house with em! (my Dad has to have oxygen since he lost a lung to cancer)

And we proclaim the winner Dad!!! Were did the whole cougar thing come from? Not mention a beaver!!

" Urinetown"

Last evening The Woman and I went to see the musical "Urinetown", as the title may suggest the whole thing is about peeing. Now we are not snobs that think this subject is taboo in public - as our friends well know The Woman will pee anywhere, but to base a whole musical on it? We made it through the first act and at the intermission we went for ice cream and back home. It wasn't that the actors weren't trying or doing a fine performance, it was just going nowhere - except to Urinetown.
It was vaguely reminiscent to a storytellers event that we attended at the Contemporary Art Center in Peoria. After a few stories even if they were giving the wine for free ( which they weren't ) we had to get out before our heads exploded. ( Even though the Walker's begged us to stay and hear some more)
I did manage to mat about 10 ballpark prints for the show in Peoria Heights this weekend before the play and spend time with a hot woman, so the night wasn't a total loss.
Tonight is Kaleb's award night at the Junior High and I'm going to look at a topper for my truck to help with the transport of art to shows this summer. Hopefully i"ll get back at a decent time to put some paint on canvas.

Let's See

The IAL meeting was one to miss, from all the reports that I have received it was full of bickering and indecision. By all accounts the new chairperson of the Eagle Landing Show took a few hits from various members. The show is being moved indoors and later in the year (Nov) so she arranged for a location and proposed her budget, and that's when the fireworks began. I glad I was at my parents.
Mom had ordered a new stove and under cabinet microwave and I had to remove and install them. Mom's happy and I'm happy.
Started the new painting, I don't think it should take too long, even though this is a busy week. The Woman and I are going to a play tonight at the Peoria Players, tomorrow is Kaleb's eighth grade awards night, and Saturday is the Tower Park Show in Peoria Heights. At least things have calmed down at the day job so I have a lot less stress there.
The next painting will make a few people happy ( one especially ) but I'm not telling the subject matter until it's finished.

IAL Meeting ?

Tonight is the monthly IAL Meeting and The Woman and I will have to pass. We have to go to my parents house and take care of some things so we will be late if we make it at all.
I am wondering if I should focus on more Peoria paintings or start a ballpark. I'm feeling this creative surge coming and whatever I start should be finished quickly. The problem is I could possibly finish two or three Peoria cityscapes before Junction City our the Ballpark......
I'm going to have to go with quantity over money this time, the ballpark is "Fenway" and I'm sure that there will be lots of buyers for prints. But I need to beef up my inventory of Peoria paintings in anticipation of the Riverfront Show. The latter means more than money to me it is the holy grail ... recognition by local media ... and someplace that only a select few local artists ever achieve.
So tonight I will stop and pickup some boards for the new Peoria canvases go by my parents house and then stretch the new canvases so they will be ready for tomorrow evening.. Sounds like a plan..

Lori's II

I've finished Lori's II ( finally), I've said before that painting is sort of cyclical. Sometimes your up and painting constantly sometimes you can't seem to get anything done. It seems that I on an upsurge of creativity and I got to ride the wave.

It's Official

Well I got an e-mail from the Art Guild and I'm officially on the wait list. So if someone doesn't show or dies or falls deathly ill I may be invited to attend. My artist friend Linda Wilmot tells me this is a good thing and I have a good chance at getting in, I really hope that's true.
Today I'm painting in the morning and going to Amy Boettcher's Island Party this afternoon. But with the weather the way it is today the island that the party will feel like is Alcatraz.

First Loser

Well last night I got a call informing me that I finished second - I'm sure that William Hardin won, although I didn't ask. The Woman says that I should be glad about second place but I'm not too excited.
The Peoria Art Guild has not sent any official information regarding the Riverfront Show, all I see is the orange( ! ) on the Juried Services site. No e-mail with what is going on, the last show I got an e-mail the day before the accepted list was announced. Maybe I'll get a letter today and I hope that the Juried site isn't yanking my chain.
Oh well, I've got some painting to catch up on and have to get ready for the show next weekend at Peoria Heights. Took some photos the other day with The Woman so I can get a leg up on kicking Hardin's butt next year. Maybe I'm just too competitive. Naa

Wait List

Well although I have not received "official" notification from the Peoria Art Guild regarding the Riverfront Show, I checked the Juried Services site and saw the wait list sign. I'm not sure what that means but at least I didn't get the automatic boot- rejected. I'm guessing that if some other painters fall ill or happen to die or decide " what the heck I don't want to go to that prestigious show", I might have a chance at getting in. So for now I wait.
I will also have to wait on the judging at the Peoria Historical Society show to see about the Rennick Award. The show is hung and the only real competition is Sir William Hardin, a superb portrait artist, whose paintings regularly sell for $20,000.00 . Mine occasionally sell for $1500.00, so it gives you an idea of his talent, but we don't have a decision yet and I'm pulling for the underdog - me.
Tonight I have to judge an art show at the East Peoria Library and drop off some more painting at Kickapoo Creek Winery. I just got an e-mail that they a having a "meet and greet" on May 18th as a kick off for the "Arbor Gallery" at the winery.
Still no word on other shows for the summer, but it is shaping up to be a busy one - I just hope it is productive.